Sri Vinayak Public School

Out in Bikaner, at F-18 in Vallabh Garden, you’ll find Sri Vinayak Public School. It’s a straightforward place. The sun in Bikaner is no joke, so we spend a lot of our energy just trying to keep the building cool enough for everyone to think. The school isn’t in the middle of a crowded bazaar, which is nice, but Vallabh Garden has its own rhythm. We have a decent courtyard where the kids play when it isn’t too hot. The dust from the nearby desert means we are constantly sweeping the entrance at F-18, though it feels like a losing battle. Most of our staff live nearby, so we’re a local bunch. We don’t have fancy uniforms or expensive equipment. We have desks, blackboards, and books. That’s enough for what we do. A typical day starts with the sound of the gate opening and ends with us making sure all the lights are switched off. There’s a lot of paperwork involved in running a school that people don’t see, and we spend plenty of time in the office sorting through that. Lunch breaks are usually spent under the fans, sharing food and talking about mundane things. We’ve had to repaint the walls a few times because they get scuffed up so quickly. It’s just a regular part of life here. We aren't trying to be anything other than a neighborhood school where kids come to learn their lessons and then go home to their families.